In the manufacturing of machined components in high volume, it is desirable to make them more efficiently at equal or higher quality. In trying to make the components more efficiently, and cost effectively, it has been recognized that the fewer individual components required and the fewer machines on which each component has to be installed for machining will typically aid in achieving those objectives.
One machine which allows for the completion of numerous machining processes is a multi-spindle lathe. The multi-spindle lathe has numerous stations, typically six or eight, upon which various operations can be performed to produce a part. Typically, each slide of each station performs a single cutting operation at any one time.
A continuing need exists for improvements, however, in the efficiency and accuracy of machining methods in the fabrication of components for various applications.